Bible HebrewThe Heavens Declare Psalm 19:2–5
Psalm 19: the sky speaks without words. Hebrew Bibles count the heading as verse 1, so these are 19:2–5 (19:1–4 in most English Bibles).
Psalm 19:2
הַשָּׁמַיִם מְסַפְּרִים כְּבוֹד־אֵל וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו מַגִּיד הָרָקִיעַ
Hashshāmayim məsappərīm kəvōdh-ʾēl ūmaʿăśē yādhāw maggīdh hārāqīaʿ
“The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament declares the work of his hands.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| הַשָּׁמַיִם | hashshāmayim | the heavens |
| מְסַפְּרִים | məsappərīm | (are) telling |
| כְּבוֹד | kəvōdh | the glory of |
| אֵל | ʾēl | God |
| וּמַעֲשֵׂה | ūmaʿăśē | and the work of |
| יָדָיו | yādhāw | his hands |
| מַגִּיד | maggīdh | (is) declaring |
| הָרָקִיעַ | hārāqīaʿ | the firmament |
- מְסַפְּרִים: מְסַפְּרִים, “telling, recounting”: a Piel participle (it starts with מְ), plural to match “the heavens”.
- אֵל: אֵל is a short word for “God”.
- מַגִּיד: מַגִּיד, “declaring”: a Hiphil participle of נגד. The I-nun נ is hidden in the doubled ג.
- הָרָקִיעַ: הָרָקִיעַ, “the firmament”: the word Genesis 1:6–8 uses for the sky.
Psalm 19:3
יוֹם לְיוֹם יַבִּיעַ אֹמֶר וְלַיְלָה לְּלַיְלָה יְחַוֶּה־דָּעַת
Yōm ləyōm yabbīaʿ ʾōmer wəlaylā ləlaylā yəḥawwe-dāʿath
“Day to day pours out speech, and night to night declares knowledge.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| יוֹם | yōm | day |
| לְיוֹם | ləyōm | to day |
| יַבִּיעַ | yabbīaʿ | pours out |
| אֹמֶר | ʾōmer | speech |
| וְלַיְלָה | wəlaylā | and night |
| לְּלַיְלָה | ləlaylā | to night |
| יְחַוֶּה | yəḥawwe | declares |
| דָּעַת | dāʿath | knowledge |
- יַבִּיעַ: יַבִּיעַ, “pours out, bubbles over”: a Hiphil, like a spring of water.
- Whole verse: Two lines in parallel: day and night, speech and knowledge, pouring out and declaring.
Psalm 19:4
אֵין־אֹמֶר וְאֵין דְּבָרִים בְּלִי נִשְׁמָע קוֹלָם
ʾĒn-ʾōmer wəʾēn dəvārīm bəlī nishmāʿ qōlām
“There is no speech, and there are no words; their voice is not heard.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| אֵין | ʾēn | there is no |
| אֹמֶר | ʾōmer | speech |
| וְאֵין | wəʾēn | and there are no |
| דְּבָרִים | dəvārīm | words |
| בְּלִי | bəlī | not |
| נִשְׁמָע | nishmāʿ | heard |
| קוֹלָם | qōlām | their voice |
- נִשְׁמָע: נִשְׁמָע, “heard”: a Niphal participle, “being heard”.
- Whole verse: After verse 3's “speech”, this verse says the heavens speak without words. Some read it instead as “there is no speech … where their voice is not heard”; the Hebrew allows both.
Psalm 19:5
בְּכָל־הָאָרֶץ יָצָא קַוָּם וּבִקְצֵה תֵבֵל מִלֵּיהֶם לַשֶּׁמֶשׁ שָׂם־אֹהֶל בָּהֶם
Bəkhol-hāʾāreṣ yāṣā qawwām ūviqṣē thēvēl millēhem lashshemesh śām-ʾōhel bāhem
“Their line goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| בְּכָל | bəkhol | in all |
| הָאָרֶץ | hāʾāreṣ | the earth |
| יָצָא | yāṣā | goes out |
| קַוָּם | qawwām | their line |
| וּבִקְצֵה | ūviqṣē | and to the end of |
| תֵבֵל | thēvēl | the world |
| מִלֵּיהֶם | millēhem | their words |
| לַשֶּׁמֶשׁ | lashshemesh | for the sun |
| שָׂם | śām | he has set |
| אֹהֶל | ʾōhel | a tent |
| בָּהֶם | bāhem | in them |
- קַוָּם: קַוָּם, “their line”, like a measuring line. Some translations read “their voice” here.
- לַשֶּׁמֶשׁ: לַשֶּׁמֶשׁ = לְ + הַ + שֶׁמֶשׁ, “for the sun”.
Bible Hebrew teaches this with practice questions and reviews that come back right before you forget. The alphabet, the lessons, the vocabulary and the guided readings are recorded in the biblical pronunciation. Free, no ads, and it works offline.
Practice this lesson free